SPIRIT
A WORD OF TORAH
Spiritual Eating
K
eeping kosher is a vital part of Jewish life. The word “kosher” comes from the Hebrew word kasher, meaning “fit” or “proper.” And, indeed, the term itself has even entered the general vernacular. When something is kosher, Rabbi it is considered Warren “above board” Goldstein and meets certain required standards. As we shall see, kosher is an entire worldview — a philosophy on food, and on life in general. Before delving into the ideas and philosophy behind kosher, it’s important to acknowledge two things. Firstly, the basis for all mitzvot is that God commanded us to perform them. With loyalty and commitment,
we dedicate our lives to fulfilling His will, whether or not we understand the true meaning and significance of the commandments. While acknowledging that we cannot truly probe the ultimate Divine wisdom and motivation behind the mitzvot, nevertheless, we are called on to do our best to understand them so the mitzvot can have a maximum impact on who we are and have a maximum transformative impact on making us into better people. This follows the philosophy of the Ramban when it comes to mitzvot, which he says is about how the mitzvot transform and make us into better people. Secondly, kosher encompasses a wide range of halachic principles and applications, each immensely detailed. There are
the laws governing which animals are kosher and which are not, documented in this week’s parshah, Shemini. There are the laws governing how animals are slaughtered and prepared for consumption. There are the laws governing the separation of milk and meat. Each of these aspects of kosher comprises its own world of details and ideas and meanings, and we can’t possibly do justice to them in a short discussion. But, we can make a start. Let us embark on a journey of discovery. And perhaps, the best place to begin is with our perspective on non-kosher food. Is there something intrinsically wrong with non-kosher food? Is it simply unhealthy? Rav Yitzchak Don Abarbarnel, one of our great sages, argues forcefully that kashrut has nothing to
do with health. He explains that the Torah is a book of Divine wisdom, not a health manual. Furthermore, he says, there is no indication that non-Jews who eat non-kosher foods are any less healthy than Jews, and also, that there are a number of unhealthy foods and even toxic substances not even mentioned in the Torah as being unkosher. According to the Abarbarnel, and many other sources, keeping kosher is about spiritual health. The Maharal of Prague has a particular perspective and maintains that this doesn’t mean there is anything bad intrinsically, whether spiritually or physically, with non-kosher food. Rabbi Azriel Chaim Goldfein cites the halachic ruling that if you have three indistinguishable pieces of meat, two continued on page 44 MARCH 24 • 2022
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